George m



Patented Jan. 24, I899.

G. M. WILLIAMS.

' CIGARETTE, CIGAR, OR TOBACCO BOX.

(Application filed July 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. WILLIAMS, OF NEWARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR- TO THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CIGARETTE, CIGAR,

OR TOBACCO ox.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,215, dated January 24, 1899. Application filed July 6,1898. Serial No. 685,236. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at N ewark, county of Essex, and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Im-' provements in Cigarette, Cigar, or Tobacco Boxes, fully described and represented in the. following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to boxes or cases for holding cigarettes, cigars, or tobacco.

In packing cigarettes and tobacco in boxes for retail sale it is customary to place about the cigarettes or tobacco in the box a wrapping-sheet of oiled paper or other suitable material, which forms a lining for the box and the ends of which form flaps which are turned down over the cigarettes or tobacco to cover the same and protect them from the cover or lid of the box. The use of such a sheet or sheets of oiled paper for lining the box and inclosing the cigarettes or tobacco is very desirable. It has been the practice heretofore, however, to place the sheet loosely in the box and to depend on the cigarettes or tobacco to hold it in place, and this has been found objectionable owing to the difiiculty in getting the sheet properly positioned in packing and the liability of the sheet becoming displaced as the cigarettes or tobacco are being taken out of the box.

The object of this in ventioniis to avoid these difiiculties in the use of a loose sheet or sheets for inclosing the cigarettes or tobacco packed in the box by providing means for holding the sheet or sheets in position in the box independently of the articles packed or to be packed therein. For this purpose I place within the box a sheet-retaining card, preferably of sufficiently stiff paper or'pasteboard, to hold the bottom portion of the sheet or sheets flat against the bottom of the-box, the card being preferably of substantially the shape and inside dimensions of the box. For holding the card in place I preferably form on the inside of opposite sides of the box retaining-shoulders, beneath which the edges of the card extend when the card has been sprung in place, and these shoulders, when the box is of sheet metal, are preferably formed by stamping indentations in the metal forming the sides of the box.

When metallic boxes are employed for ciga' rettes 0r cigars, I preferably form the sheet-retaining card with an opening to register with openings in the bottom of the box and in the Wrapping-sheet.

The invention will be found of especial value in connection with cigarette-boxes in which the cigarettes are. packed in a single layer, and in the accompanying drawings I have shown the invention as embodied in such a box.

In said drawings, Figure l is a sectional View, taken on line 1 of Fig. 2, of such a box filled with cigarettes and with the cover thrown open; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on line 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A is the body of the box, which is of a size and depth to receive a single layer of cigarettes C, and B is the cover of the box, hinged to one side of the body portion A.

D is the sheet of oiled paper or other suitable material placed within the box to receive the cigarettes and the ends of which form flaps (Z d, which fold down over the layer of cigarettes in the box. For the purpose of retaining the sheet D in place, with its portion which extends over the bottom of the box flat against the bottom of the box, there is provided a card E, preferably of snfficiently stiff paper or pasteboard, of a size to extend between opposite sides, as the sides a a, of the box, which sides are provided on the inside with lugs 2 and 3, forming shoulders, beneath which the edges of the card E extend and which are placed near the bottom of the box, so as to hold the card and the portion of the sheet D beneath the card flat against the bottom of the box. \Vhen the box is made of sheet metal, the lugs 2 and 3 are preferably formed by stamping an indentation in the side of the box, as shown, and a box so formed .with such lugs forms a feature of the invention.

It-will be seen that the card E may be readily sprung into position, with its edges beneath the lugs 2 and 3, and when so in position will hold the sheet D in the desired position within the box both while the cigarettes are being placed in and when'they are being taken out of the box. The card E is preferably of substantially the size and form of the inside of the box, so as to form a complete and even covering for the bottom of the box. The card E is preferably formed with an opening e to register with openings a and d in the bottom of the box and the sheet D, respectively. This is especially desirable when the box is of metal.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a cigarette or si milar box and a wrapping-sheet, of a sheet-retainin g card for holding said sheet in position in the bottom of the box, and shoulders on opposite sides of the box engaging the edges of said card to hold it in place, substantially as described. v

2. The combination with a cigarette or similar box having an opening or openings in the bottom thereof, and a wrapping-sheet having an opening registering with the opening in the bottom of the box, of a sheet-retaining card for holding said sheet in position in the bottom of the box and having an opening registering with the openings in the bottom of the box and the wrapping-sheet, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a metallic cigarette or similar box having opposite sides stamped to form card-retaining lugs 2 and 3, a wrapping-sheet, and a sheet-retaining card for holding said sheet in position in the bottom of the box, the edges of which card extend beneath the lugs 2 and 3, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I 7

GEO. M. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD C. REICHE, JOSIAH T. WILcoX. 

